Australia parliament returns with moment of silence for Bondi mass shooting victims

SYDNEY, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Australia’s parliament returned early on Monday with speeches and a moment of silence for those killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, as victims’ families watched from the public gallery.

Two gunmen who police allege were inspired by Islamic State opened fire at a Jewish Hanukkah event on the city’s iconic Bondi Beach last month, killing 15 people in the country’s worst such incident in decades.

The attack shocked the nation and led to calls for tougher action on antisemitism and gun control, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging tougher action on both.

“As we offer our love, sympathy and solidarity to everyone bearing the weight of trauma and loss, we make it clear to every Jewish Australian, you are not alone,” Albanese told parliament on Monday, following a moment of silence for those killed in the attack, as first responders and victims’ families watched on.

Lawmakers had been due to return from their Southern Hemisphere summer break next month, but Albanese recalled parliament two weeks early to commemorate victims and begin debate on gun control and hate speech reforms.

Albanese said on Saturday he would amend proposed hate speech laws and move gun control reforms into a separate piece of legislation, after conservative opposition and Greens parties said they would opposed a combined bill.

“The gun laws will be separate and then the laws on hate crimes and migration will proceed. But we will not be proceeding with the racial vilification provisions because it’s clear that that will not have support,” he told reporters.

Opposition Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley said last week the proposed clause on racial vilification threatened free speech.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)